The weeks since the release of Apple’s all-new Final Cut Pro X have been filled with controversy about the new editing software.

There is no doubt that Apple made a crucial mistake calling an all-new editing application “Final Cut Pro”, while it has nothing in common with its predecessor and isn’t even able to open any of the past projects. Also, if they hadn’t stopped selling the old Final Cut Studio altogether, the controversy would have been much less – because nobody expects much of a 1.0 version of any application. It’s very different when you claim to skip 3 version numbers and jump straight from version 7 to 10 …

Anyway, I will write about my mixed bag of feelings with Final Cut Pro X in a different post.

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Most of the controversy is about the fact that FCPX is missing many crucial professional features that nobody wants to live without. Adobe & Avid, the makers of the competing editing applications Premiere and Media Composer, are obviously smelling the business opportunity of a lifetime and offer huge rebates of 50% and more for their packages.

The good thing about it is that while it is aimed at switchers from Final Cut Pro (the old suite), they don’t seem to check if somebody is really an owner of these packages.

I know, the price differences are ridiculous. Adobe always says that’s because of the cost of localizations. Why only a small group of people has to pay for them though is beyond me.

There is no way that I know of to purchase the US download version if you are located in Europe. I’m sure you could hide your IP and location and it would work, but you’d have to check if this is still legal with their license terms!

Thanks for letting me know, I just corrected the UK price of CS5.5 Production Premium.

I’ve read from various forums that they can refuse you any customer service if you go this route. It’s also been compared to using a student license, which also won’t allow you to use it commercially.

When I hear stuff like that, it just doesn’t make sense to me to try and save money like this. Sure, you’ll be able to install it and use it, but you won’t have a proper license. Which, again, is the same as using a pirated copy or student license, only you’re paying a lot more for the installation files and a pretty box.

Which would mean you could use it commercially. You could run into trouble later down the road when you upgrade, need customer service, or in other dealings with Adobe. It’s still grey import which is always a bit unclear. Local laws might also be relevant.

Licenses and copyright law can be complicated… And remember, it’s not your property, it’s a contract in which Adobe allows you to use it.

In Brazil we pay for the download version twice the value of what Americans pay for the box version.
cost of localizations?? What cost? the same download version, the same server.
To buy directly from Adobe, you just need a credit card and address in the USA.
You can buy Sony Vegas Pro for the same price anywhere in the world, US$ 299, this is a promotion!

I tried to get a straight answer out of Adobe on this when buying CS3; the best I could get was that by using a US version when not a US resident the software would be considered ‘unsupported’ – I could use it legally but wouldn’t be eligible for customer service. Normally I wouldn’t care but with the CS3 activation it could mean the software would become ‘de-authenticated’ and I’d have no way of unlocking it.

They were vague about whether the software would be upgradeable, just kept on repeating ‘unsupported’ like it was some sort of mantra.

The price difference is pretty indefensible, especially the download version – they just charge what the market will allow.

You can get the US download version if you’ve got a US address and credit card. You will be abled to use it legally and commercially, but you won’t be eligable for customer support. But even with the US-download version you’d have to pay (at least, here in the Netherland) 19% VAT. I’m not quite sure if ‘import duties’ are required though (which would add another 10% or something like that))

As to the localization costs – it’s madness, just spread those costs over all customers, or only on a localized version. I wouldn’t want to buy any other version than the English version anyway. Give people which want the English version the advantage of no-localization-costs, makes a lot more sense.

About Nino Leitner

Nino Leitner, AAC is a filmmaker, DP and film producer based in Vienna, Austria - yet mostly working around the globe. He focuses mainly on commercial & corporate work as well as documentaries, with an increasing number of fictional narrative projects.